The Savior wimped out.
After the Hogsmeade Village attack, Harry no longer dared to step out of the castle,
at least not until Barty Jr. was caught.
This state of affairs continued until Halloween.
Audrey made a point of waking up on the eve of Halloween;
she was very curious to see what kind of disaster would unfold in the castle this year.
The probability of Barty Jr. and Voldemort stirring up trouble was extremely high,
and she wondered what kind of response her cheap father would make in the face of her threats.
However, Mr. Tom Riddle proved himself a true graduate of Slytherin—slick, shrewd, and knowing exactly when to tuck tail...
even if there wasn't much left of his brain.
Halloween actually passed without a ripple; it wasn't magical at all!
Audrey grumbled that she had monitored the castle all night, only to find that Voldemort and Barty Jr. weren't even inside!!
The only remedy for her resentment was a long slumber!
Sleep, sleep!
...
...
November 6th.
The first Saturday after Halloween.
Today was the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
Because of the Dementors, the sky over Hogwarts had been overcast for two months.
"Harry, don't worry. Dumbledore and several Heads of House are here. Even if Barty Jr. sneaks into the pitch, he won't be able to do anything to you!"
Wood comforted Harry before the match began.
"No, Wood, I'm not worried about Barty Crouch Jr.," Harry looked up at the sky, "I just don't know if the Dementors will be attracted by our match."
"Don't worry, Harry," Ron shouted. "You didn't see it on the train that day, but Audrey released a massive Patronus and drove the Dementors away! Audrey might not come to watch today, but Dumbledore is here! Dumbledore definitely knows how to use the Patronus Charm; the Dementors are nothing to worry about!"
Harry nodded, feeling much more at ease.
He had been mocked by Malfoy more than once this semester for this very reason, and the infuriating thing was that he couldn't even talk back! As a result, the shadow cast by the Dementors in his heart grew even darker!
The young wizards trickled from the castle toward the pitch. Although it was a match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, fanatical Quidditch lovers from the other two houses flocked there as well—
after all, the entertainment life of wizards was just that simple and unadorned.
The professors arrived early at the site. Before the match started, they repeatedly checked the surrounding area several times.
The Hogsmeade Village attack had served as a wake-up call; perhaps they shouldn't rely on Dementors to guard against Barty Crouch Jr. In fact, the Dementors had even attacked Harry on the Hogwarts Express.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The 1993-1994 Hogwarts Quidditch season has officially begun!"
Lee Jordan's hosting and commentary skills had become more refined. Professor McGall, for once, was not sitting behind him; in this special situation, she needed to find a spot suited for spotting trouble and providing assistance—the top of the spectators' wooden tower.
The elderly cat-lady had to keep an eye on both the field and the area outside the pitch at all times—the other four Heads of House were currently occupying four corners of the pitch to ensure everything was foolproof.
By all accounts, since Barty Crouch Jr. had already threatened the students' lives, the Quidditch match should have been canceled.
However, after the battle at Hogsmeade, where Barty Jr. was even suppressed by Sirius, the professors felt that Barty Jr. was not worth mentioning. As long as precautions were in place, he wouldn't be able to cause any trouble!
A century ago, Headmaster Phineas Black had canceled Quidditch matches several times, leading to widespread resentment and making the students of those generations loathe him to the core.
Taking that as a warning, unless there was an exceptional situation, it was better not to cancel the Quidditch match...
Chapter 165: Leading the Wolf into the House (2 / 2)
The elderly cat-lady transformed into her Animagus form—a tabby cat.
A cat's vision is six times more sensitive than a human's! In this form, her observational powers far exceeded her wizard form.
"Meow!"
Professor McGall let out a loud meow, and Dumbledore immediately signaled Lee Jordan from across the pitch.
"Oh, there's been a bit of a situation. Our match might be delayed for a moment! Please, everyone, stay calm!"
The pitch erupted into a clamor. The players who had already taken the field floated in the air, fourteen faces filled with confusion.
Several figures were seen running from the direction of the Forbidden Forest toward the castle.
Leading them was Glenda Chittock.
She had led Bode Gray and the others on a trek spanning several months, fleeing all the way from Norway back to Britain.
They were supposed to arrive a few days ago, but before they could enter the area of the teleportation array, they were caught by Magni.
After a fierce battle and another escape, it took them another half month to finally reach Hogwarts.
At this moment, Glenda was in terrible shape. Not only was she covered in wounds, her eyes were bloodshot, and her internal magic was nearly exhausted. Her left hand was gone, leaving her to share a common fate with Thetis.
The two young people carried by the three disabled individuals (two missing hands, one missing a leg) were in relatively better condition. During the fighting, they hadn't been able to help at all, making them the least injured.
With Hogwarts right before them, Glenda and the others gritted their teeth, a strong will to survive surging through them as they ran even faster.
Arjonia followed behind them; her stamina was the weakest. She had managed to persist this far thanks to Glenda being powerful enough and the assistance of Alan Ash—
after living together in Norway for so long, Alan had taken an interest in Arjonia. He was now tirelessly holding the child of Arjonia and Filch. Even though his arms were so exhausted they felt like they didn't belong to him, he had no intention of letting the child go.
"Sizzle!"
The privilege dog, Dumbledore, Apparated in front of them.
"Miss Chittock?"
Dumbledore looked suspiciously at the group.
Except for Thetis, whom he was unfamiliar with, the others were all people he knew.
"Mr. Gray, Miss Rolle, Mr. Ash..."
Upon hearing Dumbledore call her Miss Rolle, Arjonia's entire body trembled. She had long since been removed from the family tree and stripped of her surname; she was now just a person without a name.
"Professor Dumbledore, quick, organize the castle's defenses! A powerful enemy is coming!"
"A powerful enemy?" Dumbledore was taken aback. "What powerful enemy?"
Glenda Chittock spat out a mouthful of bright red saliva. "A powerful life-form sealed by ancient wizards! A so-called deity from the ancient era!"
"Magni, the son of Thor, the God of Thunder from Norse mythology!"
Before Dumbledore could respond, a thunderous voice echoed from the distance!
"Run again! Even if you run to the ends of the earth, I will kill you!"
"All wizards deserve to die! Wizards should not exist in this world!"
Magni's voice echoed through the surrounding mountains without any attempt at concealment.
The young wizards on the pitch were filled with terror.
Dumbledore looked toward the source of the voice, his face grim. He decisively drew the Elder Wand.
Barty Jr. and Selenis, who were watching the pitch from the shadows, were both shocked. Voldemort, parasitizing Selenis, murmured to himself, "Ancient god?"
At that moment, Audrey, who had been sound asleep just a second ago,
suddenly snapped her eyes open.
Hogwarts Castle was sending her an alert,
[STRONG ENEMY INCOMING!]
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